Naruto: The Final Hour Part 1: Arrival
by Hateichi Kage
Summary: Time is out of whack and natural disasters are tearing apart the ninja world, and to make matters worse a strange organization has appeared and is targeting the five kages. What is going on? Can these terrifying foes with terrifying power be stopped?
1. Chapter 1: Awakening

**Chapter 1  
Awakening**

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"_Everyone!! Hang on!! We can't break formation!!"  
"__Hey!! ------!! C'mon!! Don't give up!!  
"__It's hopeless… I can't!!"  
"__No!! We didn't come this far just to admit defeat!! Pick yourself up!!"  
"__Everyone… good luck…"  
"__No!! Hang on!!"  
"__Akachi… there's nothing more we can do…"  
"__Damn it…"_

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Hikaru awakened with a start, his body drenched in sweat. Could the dream he just had have something to do with the mysteries of his forgotten past? He glanced at the digital clock on the wall and shook his head. It was three in the morning; no sense worrying about it so late at night.

The next morning, Hikaru confided in the friend that had found him unconscious on the shore a few weeks ago.

"Hm… that is strange… you say that it sounded like a thunderstorm was going on in your dream… but you couldn't see anything…?" said Xaiden, with whom he had become close friends in those few weeks.

"Yes… I kept hearing thunder… what bothers me is how real it felt… like a memory…" said Hikaru. "Why?"

"Well… I don't know if this is coincidence or not… but there was a terrible thunderstorm last night… didn't you hear anything?" said Xaiden, staring at him quizzically.

"I didn't hear anything at all… hm… maybe this really was a memory…" said Hikaru, staring down at his feet.

"Hm… see if you can't remember anything else… Sorry but… I need to be somewhere… the other kages want to meet and talk about the natural disasters that have been ravaging our land as of late… I will talk to you later…" said Xaiden, looking at Hikaru with concern and then grabbing his Mizukage uniform from the wall, and leaving the building.

"But I can't remember anything else…" said Hikaru to the closing door. "There wasn't anything more to the dream…"

Hikaru decided that he was in need of fresh air, and so he made the conscious decision to go for a walk. With a sigh he stood from the dining table, and left the Mizukage manor, making sure his Kirigakure headband was secured on his forehead before leaving. He thought as he walked of how he may have had some sort of head injury before he was found, as there was a deep horizontal slash across the Kirigakure headband he was wearing when he was found.

Hikaru took a left at the street corner and turned into the ramen shop called Niraku. Xaiden, who was an avid fan of this place's ramen, had introduced him to this place; though Hikaru's first memory here was rather odd. The first thing he was told about the place was that it had an older sister in Konohagakure called Ichiraku, and for some reason Konohagakure gave him a very strange feeling inside, like a memory; definitely a bad one. Even still, the delicious Miso Ramen he was given as his first dinner with his friend had melted away all his anxiety, forever infatuating Hikaru with this place.

Almost as soon as Hikaru was seated, a steaming bowl of Miso Ramen was pushed in front of him. "Thank you very much," he said in his usual polite but monotonous voice.

"Anything for the Sixth Mizukage's guest!!" said the female owner of the shop, whose name he still had yet to learn.

Hikaru smiled at the girl as he politely slurped down the delicious golden brown noodles and broth. "Delicious as ever!" he said with a gentle grin, getting a youthful giggle from the girl. Hikaru felt happiness and warmth inside, but this feeling was soon broken as two Kiri ninja entered the bar in a huff about something that Hikaru couldn't help but overhearing.

"Who does that jerk think he is?" said the older of the two, who Hikaru recognized as being Satoshi Obata, a Kiri jonin.

"An outrage this is!!" said the younger of the two, a chuunin called Makoto Hyuuga.

"Hm… what happened?" said Hikaru, slurping a little more ramen before turning to the two ninja.

"Oh!! Hikaru-sama!!" said Satoshi. "Well… some jerk marched into town dressed like an Akatsuki!!"

"Oh really?" said Hikaru, staring at them while wiping ramen he had coughed up from his chin. He recalled what Xaiden had once told him about the Akatsuki. "What happened to them?"

"They asked to see the Mizukage, and when we told them no chance in hell… things got a little messy… thank god no one got hurt… but it turned out they sent in a clone… and that clone just exploded…" continued Satoshi.

"Wow… that's terrible… did you see what village they're from…?" asked Hikaru.

"Kumogakure…" said Makoto. "…This could cause some pretty serious problems… hopefully something can be worked out between the Raikage and our Mizukage…"

"That seems odd… that someone would come all the way from Kumogakure… when the Gokage summit is just today…" said Hikaru. "…They might really have been a missing nin…"

"Hopefully you're right… the last thing we need is a war at a time like this…" said Satoshi.

Silence followed thereafter. Hikaru finished his ramen, paid and tipped the shop owner, and then left. There was still time before dark, so he figured he would head to the street shops to look for clothing. Such things weren't so much of interest to him, but he needed to get a point where he would no longer have to borrow Xaiden's clothing. Luckily for him, he had awakened with a pretty substantial amount of money on his person, almost enough to build an entire village.

He made a turn to take a shortcut through an alleyway to spare him the usual drag of walking through the old folks community district to get to the shopping center, but his journey was cut short when he noticed a figure wearing a black robe standing between him and the alleyway exit. Cautiously, he grabbed a kunai, since he had a suspicion of who the individual was. Sure enough, as the person turned to face him he caught glimpse of a kumogakure headband.

"Well well… looks like I have been found out… hmmm…" said the individual, staring at Hikaru with a single expressionless eye, their long silver hair covering what presumably was the other eye.

"You… what business do you have here in Kirigakure…?" said Hikaru.

"Well well… you Mist ninja are pretty hasty… settle down… won't you…? I have some art that I would like to show the Mizukage… hmmm…" said the individual, smirking at Hikaru.

"Something tells me… that this art isn't as innocent as one might think…" said Hikaru, gazing at his opponent, the kunai gripped tightly in his hand.

"Ohoho… my art isn't innocent at all… it's grand… and mature…" said the individual, forming an elegant ice sculpture with his left hand. "Art… IS AN EXPLOSION!!" He said, holding up his hands in a handsign. Hikaru barely had a chance to react, as the sculpture, quickly turned into deadly hot steam…

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**Next Chapter:  
Hikaru barely has any memory of who he is, let alone how to use his strange powers over water, and now he has to face a terrifying foe who claims his deadly explosive moves are art!!**


	2. Chapter 2: The Artist

**Chapter 2  
The Artist**

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Hikaru slid backwards from what would have melted him in an instant. He felt he had the power to fight this foe, but it worried him because he couldn't remember what his powers exactly were. Gazing down at his hands, however, which had been the only part of him caught by the blast, he gained a suspicion that he had power over water as well, as somehow the steam hadn't burned him. His foe through a couple exploding snowballs at him, attempting to take him out, but to test his power he allowed them to make contact. Sure enough, the steam from those didn't harm him either, and looking closer, he found that it actually disappeared as soon as it made contact with his chakra.

This epiphone suddenly gave Hikaru a theory, and he desperately desired to test this theory. Based on what he did, he suspected that his power involved a manipulation of water on a molecular level, so to test this, he started focusing his chakra on trying to raise the temperature. He knew a few things about chemistry, and he figured that if he could get his foe to break a sweat he could win.

"Balmy… hmmm?" said his foe, laughing. "That's a mistake on your part… now die!!"

Hikaru dodged a barrage of exploding icicles from every direction. What a pain, his foe would keep stealing his environmental water if he kept producing it. If he wanted to win, he knew it would be necessary to incapacitate his foe's chakra first. And unfortunately, like Xaiden, this opponent seemed to have power over both water and wind, hence his ability to use ice, so neutralizing his chakra wasn't an option. How could he win?

"You aren't half bad…" said his foe, smiling at him rather maliciously. "Akuma Kuroreido's the name… howabout you… hmmm?"

"Hikaru Soragetsu…" said Hikaru, staring at Akuma very calmly and coldly.

"Hmmm… well that changes things a bit…" said Akuma, suddenly growing cold and calm."I'd better hurry and report this to Akachi…" continued Akuma preparing to leave.

"Hold it," said Hikaru. "You have caused a considerable amount of damage here… you aren't going anywhere until the Mizukage get's back."

"I see… well I guess you give me no choice… hmmm?" said Akuma, holding up a handsign. "Looks like I'll have to incapacitate you if I want to leave… hmmm?"

Hikaru stepped backwards, but it was too late, he was already caught in the technique. He wasn't sure what his fate would be as he observed a ring of ice appear around him and Akuma, but he would soon find out. His eyes suddenly widened as he saw several square-shaped pieces of ice emerge from the ground, forming a dome around the battlefield.

"This technique…" said Hikaru, recognizing it is being the same technique Xaiden possessed.

"Crystal ice mirror… developed by a ninja called Haku almost 50 years ago… in your time…" said Akuma. "Though I don't use it in quite the same way… I find that the best way to create art… is on a grand scale of mass production!!"

Hikaru ducked as thousands of icicles began launching at him from every direction. Several slashed through the clothing Xaiden had lent him, landing in a deadly ring around him. Per his expectation, his enemy raised a handsign, and Hikaru winced, ready to be caught in what was sure to be an unavoidable blast and injury. But, he suddenly got an idea and stared at the many reflections of his foe. Involuntarily, he raised a handsign, and the mirrors began to melt through his influence. Just as he suspected, Akuma was taking the heat on a greater level, and just like that, Hikaru had succeeded in forcing his foe to sweat.

"My turn!!" said Hikaru, sending out a pulse of chakra. Just as he had hoped the mirrors disappeared and his foe fell to the ground, writhing in pain as the Hydrochloric acid and Sodium Hydroxide corroded his flesh. He winced as his foe's twitching stopped as a result of shock, and then he stopped the reaction, rincing off the dangerous chemicals.

A few allied nin who had observed the fight ran over. "Put a restraint on his chakra and imprison him… the Mizukage can deal with him when he returns…" said Hikaru to the nin, receiving a few nods before Akuma's unconscious body was taken into custody. He then slumped down against a nearby wall. The encounter had taken longer than he thought it had, as the sun had set. Tomorrow he would need to practice with his newly recalled abilities, as using them as he had drained his chakra quite considerably.

Hikaru then picked himself up and began the walk towards the Mizukage manor. It bothered him that his foe had the same powers as Xaiden, and he deeply wondered why such a thing was. Xaiden told him once that he was the last of the Shouni clan, but Akuma's existence seemed to make this impossible, as only a Shouni could have and use wind and water chakra to create ice. As he went to bed for the night, Hikaru wracked his brain on what had happened. Who was this Akuma Kuroreido?  


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Across the sea the five kages met in Konohagakure, seated in a large circular room with the symbol for fire in the center. In the largest chair sat the Hokage, who was currently playing host to the summit. To the left of him sat the Mizukage, then the Tsuchikage, the Raikage, and wrapping around to his right was the Kazekage.

"These natural disasters are unusual to say the least…" said Kage Hateichi, who had become the eighth Hokage just weeks prior.

"Yes…" said the Kazekage, the sole female at the meeting. "But Lord Hokage… you seem to have additional knowledge on the matter…"

"Hm… it is just a theory at this point… but its all we've got…" said Kage. "You undoubtedly all know of how the fourth ninja world war against the Akatsuki ended fourty years ago… I have this suspicion… that per result of those last noble actions of Madara Uchiha to reverse his misdeeds… time has been damaged to a point where it is gradually slowing down. And as a result… nature itself is out of whack…"

"Hm… I think you are probably correct… about the time aspect…" spoke Reido Hoshigata, the Raikage. "Though I have a further development to this story… Madara has nothing to do with it… I learned by gazing through the deceased eyes of a Kumogakure jonin that a group came to our time through a portal of some sort… It is likely therefore… that time's injuries are a result of their presence here… since they say a glass too full will begin to overflow…"

"So then… you think these disasters might stop if we find these people…?" said the Mizukage. "That time will stop if we get rid of them…? How is that fair…? What if they only came here for refuge…?"

"Hm… they are hostile…" said the Tsuchikage, speaking for the first time. "One of them attacked Iwagakure looking for me today… I heard so from an ANBU from my village before arriving here…"

"Well then… it seems we have come to a solution… elliminate the enemy ninja from another time… and we elliminate the natural disasters…" spoke Kage. "The Land of Fire will make a full effort of this matter…"

"The Land of Lightning will make a full effort of this matter…" spoke the Raikage.

"The Land of Wind will make a full effort of this matter…" spoke the Kazekage.

"The Land of Water will make a full effort of this matter…" spoke the Mizukage.

"The Land of Earth will make a full effort of this matter…" spoke the Tsuchikage.

"Then we have no more to discuss…" said Kage. "Everyone be safe on your journey home… send your accompanying ANBU for help if you encounter anyone… we don't know what we're dealing with. Meeting adjourned."

As the kages left, Kage spoke to the empty room. "I know you are there… it is meaningless to hide…"

"Hm… very well… lord Hokage… let's see what you are made of…" spoke the foe behind him, cloaked in the shadows of the room...

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**Next Chapter:  
The Hokage begins a fight for his life against a mysterious enemy from another time. When the truth comes out, Kage may not look at the world in the same way ever again...**


	3. Chapter 3: Eyes of Pain

**Chapter 3  
Eyes of Pain**

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"I see…" said Kage, dropping his Hokage robe. "What praytell… have you come here for… to this time…?"

"That is unimportant…" said the individual, emerging from the shadows to reveal an akatsuki robe covering what looked like a teenager with long blue hair. The most interesting part of this person's appearance was his eyes, however.

"The rinnegan…" said Kage, staring into the cold silvery eyes of the youth before him.

"Yes… it is solely because of the Rinnegan that I feel no fear in the face of the legendary possessor of the Tenshugan…" said the youth.

"Hm… so you seem to know all about me… but I daresay I have never heard of you… as far as I know in my time… the last living master of the Rinnegan was Nagato… who died 40 years ago…" replied Kage, staring at the youth with his eyes narrowed.

"You are sharp… given the inherent hole in what you can possibly know… I am Akachi Hoshigata… and as you seem to suspect… indeed I am from the future…" said Akachi, staring into Kage's eyes.

"Hm… I see… then indeed you are a threat to our peace…" said Kage with a sigh.

"Kage Hateichi… I do not have a quarrel with you… there is something you possess that I desperately need…" said Akachi, his eyes narrowing.

"I think it is very clear what you have come here for… and under those circumstances… there is no longer a need for words…" said Kage, grabbing the sword sheathed at his waist.

"Have it your way… We both know that each of us possesses strength… let us not waste time testing eachother… we must get right to the point…" said Akachi, kneeling and drawing out a summoning field on the floor.

"I agree…" said Kage, taking a defensive stance in preparation for his foe's jutsu.

Seconds later, Akachi completed the summoning symbol, and just then, he spoke, "Kuchiyose… Pein Rikudo… Doubtless you will recognize this technique."

With this, six bodies appeared behind Akachi. "You really don't waste any time…" said Kage, activating his Tenshugan.

As the six bodies jumped towards Kage, eaching holding a different sword, Kage used the genjutsu properties of his eye to paralyze two of them, as he used the temporal ability to freeze two others. The remaining two he pummelled with a rasengan on each hand. He gazed up at Akachi, but quickly regretted doing so, as Akachi managed to catch him in a genjutsu that felt to him much as he recalled the Tsukuyomi feeling.

"I don't recognize this… since when did the Rinnegan possess a genjutsu occular power…" said Kage, falling to the floor.

"It is a discovery of mine… and therefore will not be discovered for another two centuries…" replied Akachi, his image distorting as Kage saw his body rise into the air, before blood started trickling down his forehead.

"That certainly is a long time… you must truly be a prodigy… unfortunately…" said Kage, his body disappearing into a mass of bats. "Simple Genjutsu is not enough to defeat the Hokage… I thought you said this fight was serious…"

"Hm… very well… I think you have earned this…" replied Akachi, holding up a handsign.

Kage hesitated for a moment, but regretted doing so immediately, as the force of the six paths next movement blew the roof off of the Gokage meeting room. They circled around Kage, locking him in some strange power that kept him at the direct center as they each created an attack much like the fire-style jutsu of the Uchiha clan, though each a different element. It was at this instant that he noticed something odd about one of the paths, but the note didn't last for very long, as his next move was his only means of surviving his foe's attack.

There was a flash of light, and the next thing Kage knew he was kneeling on the floor, his blood dripping from all over the place. He had managed to defend himself from the blunt force of the technique, but it was powerful enough that he couldn't completely avoid it. Of course, there was still a final trumpcard up Kage's sleeve. He had hoped that he wouldn't have to use the powers Orochimaru's experiments had given him, but given the circumstances he would need to do so if were to be able to eradicate this powerful foe.

With this, a black chakra suddenly began rising from Kage's back, and moments later his entire body turned black except for two demonic green eyes. He looked mostly like a shadow, but this form was the shape of something like a werewolf with 13 tails. "My final trumpcard… this needs to end…" said Kage, his voice having changed to a rather demonic and inhuman growl.

"Hm… likewise…" replied Akachi, as Kage lunged at him from 13 direction, just barely dodging Kage's thirteen slashes from his vicious claws. "You are a jinchuriki… no…?"

"Somewhat…" said Kage, continuing his high speed barrage, beginning to become irritated with how he kept missing his foe. "Orochimaru's experiments were intended to create a bijuu for himself… but though the beast sealed within myself was the strongest, it still died… and so he cast aside the plan. It's chakra's merged with my own without his realizing… had he known that this experiment doubled my lifespan… and spared me from aging… I would not be here today…"

"Hm… I see…" said Akachi, recalling his six paths.

"And that is likely why my body seems to have taken up the role of your Tendo… for only I could live now… and live long enough to leave you a body in your distant future…" said Kage, staring at akachi with murderous intent. He knew he needed to hurry and end the fight with his flamning rasenshuriken, or else he would enter rage mode, and it would all be over for Konoha.

"Hm… so it would seem you solved the mystery…" said Akachi. "But I am afraid we are not going to meet for another century or two… goodbye… Hachidaime Hokage…"

Kage stared at Akachi with bewilderment, but he quickly learned what his foe meant. These past few moments he had been trapped into a genjutsu, and as he saw the genjutsu fade, he realized his foe was charging what was undoubtedly the most powerful jutsu he had ever seen or would see. It was imperative that he dodge, but it was too late.

"Hexelemental Rasenshuriken…" said Akachi as the sphere of death made contact with Kage's body.

Kage's eyes closed as he felt the jutsu collide with his chest, the effects of every chakra nature, destroying everything in their path as they formed a large explosion that flattened everything within 100 yards. The only thing that spared Kage's life was his bijuu chakra and form, as the next thing he knew he was laying on the ground, and his body wouldn't move.

"Hm… forgive me… Kage Hateichi…" said Akachi, grabbing the necklace of the first from around his neck, and pulling it off.

Kage tried to fight, but his body was unwilling to move another inch. Akachi was likely unaware that he was still conscious, as the powerful ninja walked over to the Hokage manor and disappeared inside.

Once inside the manor, Akachi pressed his hand up against a wall, and a secret door slid open for the first time since the formation of the village. "This is the secret of the first Hokage… never passed down upon another… said Akachi, walking up to the stone door that was down the hallway a distance. He placed the necklace of the first up against a hexagon shaped symbol on the door, and it slid open, likely for the first time in its existence. This necklace wasn't the original, as Akachi had studied history enough to know that it was simply a replica crafted from the same crystal that formed the original, given to Naruto Uzumaki by Madara Uchiha to replace the one lost back when the Akatsuki of the past first emerged.

Akachi made his way into the dark cavern on the other side of the stone door. After walking on hundred yards or so he arrived in a cavern lit by an eerie green glow. At the very tallest point of the cavern was what he was seeking, a small blue gear. As soon as he retrieved it, he fled the hall, and placed a restraint on the doorway. Removing that gear would stop time in the area and destroy everyone in Konoha if he didn't put up this restraint. As soon as his work was finished, he closed the stone door and made his way back to the Hokage's body, where he replaced the crystal necklace.

"Why… did you leave me alive…? What have you come here for…? Tell me your tale… and I may be able to help… you don't seem like a typical villain…" said the Hokage.

"Hm… very well… you seem trustworthy…" said Akachi with a sigh, making a choice a part of him warned he'd regret…

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**Next Chapter:  
**An terrifying Uchiha from the future faces down with the Tsuchikage, as the Mizukage returns to interrogate Hikaru's defeated foe.


	4. Chapter 4: Diamond Dust

**Chapter 4  
Diamond Dust**

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The Tsuchikage's journey back to Iwagakure went smoothly and quickly. He had expected to be assaulted at any moment by these mysterious foes from another time, but somehow he had made it all the way through the Land of Fire and into the Land of Stone with literally no interruption. But, as he entered Iwagakure, he could sense a disturbace in the air, the large vein of chakra infused diamond beneath the city told him that something wasn't right, and as he felt himself fall into a genjutsu, this supicion was affirmed.

He struggled to move, though none of his appendages would respond. Several times he attempted to break the Genjutsu, though took no results. It was at this time that he came to the realization that this genjutsu must be a power of the Sharingan; Tsuykuyomi? This suspicion quickly faded, however, when he realized that his limbs were moving, they were just moving incredibly slowly. From the corner of his incredibly fast eye he saw a black glimmer, and he realized his foe was behind him. Realizing he couldn't dodge in this current state, the Tsuchikage solved the Genjutsu and broke free, managing to defend himself with a diamond wall just in time.

When the diamond shield between him and his foe cracked a bit, he came to the realization that this opponent must be incredibly powerful; probably on of the enemies from another time. "Who are you?" spoke the Tsuchikage.

"I am Masaki… something tells me you already know why I am here… no…?" said the enemy, who looked rather young, and bore a striking resemblance to the legendary Yellow Flash of Konoha.

"You are here to destroy time… I do not like to act without question… but in order for this peace we enjoy to last, you must disappear!!" spoke the Tsuchikage, firing a blast of diamond spikes from around him.

Masaki dodged ever spike, as a lucky hunch told him what would happen next. No surprise, the diamond needles began crystalizing the moment they made contact with the ground, specifically on points that had plant-life. "Carbon…?" spoke Masaki rather absentmindedly. "Who are you…?"

"Hayate Kiatsu… the fifth Tsuchikage…" said Hayate, staring into his opponent's cold black eyes, with his mysteriously twinkling bluish green eyes.

"Nice to meet you…" spoke Masaki, frowning as his body disappeared in a mass of crows, surrounding his foe.

"Hm… you don't waste do you…? This is an Uchiha Genjutsu… and a powerful one at that…" said Hayate, holding up a handsign.

"I cannot afford to waste time… that medallion of yours… I intend to borrow it… I suppose it's a waste of words… but what do you suppose you lend that to me…?" spoke Masaki, carefully observing his foe's hands.

"This medallion is a precious heirloom passed from each Tsuchikage to the next… you shall not gaze upon it again… now… disappear…" said Hayate, appearing behind Masaki, emerging from Masaki's shadow.

"Tch… you… you couldn't be… trained by…?" said Masaki, dodging a disturbingly simplistic sword strike, which was likely a trap.

"Indeed… so you have heard… of Musei Shikyo…" said Hayate with what seemed to be a smirk under his diamond mask.

Masaki's eyes widened as a flurry of beautiful crystaline flower petals began swirling around him. He readied himself for some kind of all-directional attack, while also studying the chakra in the shards of diamond very carefully. These diamonds reflected light quite a considerable amount, giving Masaki an idea. "Hm… this is the best you can do…?" he said with a smirk to an opponent he could not see.

"This… is the Sakura diamond storm…" said Hayate. "Now… vanish into the oblivion…"

Masaki's eyes widened as the swirling masses of diamond suddenly began attacking him from every direction, and his opponent appeared in the storm, moving through these deadly flower petals like rain, charging the paralyzed Uchiha with what would certainly be a deadly attack. But, Masaki's plan wouldn't allow that.

"Like I said…" said Masaki, his body disappating into thin air.

Hayate stared around and examined the chakra in his diamonds. His opponent was still in the mass of diamonds, but for some reason Hayate couldn't tell where. Realizing he was probably caught in yet another genjutsu, Hayate raised his left hand to disperse the Sakura Diamond so he could clear his mind, but when he raised his left hand, is right rose instead. "Is this… medical ninjutsu…?" said Hayate, falling over as his confused motions tripped him.

"No… this is your nightmare…" said Masaki's voice.

Hayate gazed around as his vision suddenly went black, and all he was left with was sound to rely on. Suddenly, he felt a cold, scabbed hand grab his arm, and then several others followed them, pulling him to the ground. The darkness began to disperse, and Masaki came into view. Hayate tried to move, but his body was paralyzed. This was more than a genjutsu, because everything around him was real. He then mustered the strength to lift his gaze to his opponent. Masaki's eyes were glowing red, decorated by the sharingan, and not just any sharingan; the mangekyou.

"You… you're… and Uchiha… aren't you…" spoke Hayate, struggling to breath as one of the scabbed hands closed around his throat. "And… this isn't just a genjutsu… is it…?"

"Hm… I suppose there is no harm in telling you…" spoke Masaki, taking a seat on a black throne that appeared before him. "You are correct… this is a separate dimension altogether… in which I control true reality… this is the power of my right eye… And soon… you will know my left eye… though fear not… I need you alive…"

Hayate winced as he gazed up at his foe. The blackness around him began to fade, and he felt the grip of the hands loosen. This was his chance, if he could just get to his feet in time, he could activate a ninjutsu and catch his foe off guard; and he was undoubtedly fast enough. But, when he jumped to his feet at lightning speed, he felt himself fall to his knees. Somehow, he had run out of chakra.

"Like I said… I control reality in that dimension…" said Masaki. "You didn't think I would release you… unprepared… did you…?"

Hayate stared at his foe, his strange-colored eyes ablaze with rage. "This isn't the end for me… I will destroy you…" he said in a voice unusually cold for him.

Masaki smirked at the Tsuchikage as he opened both of his eyes. For the moment that followed there was sheer silence, but seconds later, a massive demon fox appeared in Masaki's place. Hayate begged his body to move as the fox, which was undoubtedly a transformed Masaki, to move, but seconds later, when the fox had swallowed him, he remained still. After several minutes, ninja began flooding the streets, and then Masaki's jutsu dispersed, dropping Hayate's barely conscious body to the ground. Ruthlessly, Masaki went up to the Tsuchikage and tore the diamond gauntlet from his arm, walking off to the Tsuchikage manor, which was built into the side of a cliff.

Once inside, he pressed a spot on the cliff face wall with the diamond gauntlet, and a secret stone door slid open. Following the procedure Akachi had given him, he went inside and removed the small blue-green gear inside the stone cavern on the other side of that door, and then placed a dimensional seal to prevent the stoppage of time from destroying the citizens of Iwagakure, and then he closed the door, returning to the Tsuchikage's body, tossing the gauntlet next to Hayate's body and then leaving the village. None of the nin bothered to stand up to him, because they already knew what would happen if they did. As Hayate's wounds slowly began to heal from the strange mucus that covered him from the stomach of Masaki's Mangekyou fox, he pondered weakly in his mind what it was these people from another time were after.  


* * *

In Kirigakure, the Mizukage just arrived back in town to find that Hikaru had taken someone prisoner from the very organization that had been discussed at the Gokage summit in Konoha.

"Hikaru… are you alright…?" spoke the Mizukage with concern upon seeing just a few minor scratches on his friend's face.

"Yeah… but he isn't… we will want to fix him up fast… or getting answers from this crook may take a while…" spoke Hikaru, rubbing his eyes from exhaustion.

"Heheheheh… fix me up…? Are you insane…?" spoke Akuma, having apparently been awake the whole time. "Or perhaps you just can't get enough of my art… hmmm…?"

"You!!" said Xaiden. "What business does your gang of thugs have in our time?? Who are you??"

"Ohohoho… if you really must know… let's settle this in a fight… just you and me… Señor Shouni…" spoke Akuma with a grin and a sarcastic leer...

* * *

**Next Chapter:  
**The Mizukage begins battle with the terrifying artist from Kumogakure and learns the truth of this terrifying foe's identity. Elsewhere, the Kazekage faces down with a master of shadows, who apparently would rather be somewhere else...


	5. Chapter 5: Mirror Move

**Chapter 5  
Mirror Move**

* * *

"Very well… have it your way…" said Xaiden, closing his eyes for a brief moment as Akuma rose to his feet and left the building.

"Hm… be careful, Xaiden… I don't know how… but he possesses both your kekkei genkai, and that of the old Akatsuki member known as Deidara… he isn't to trifled with… I only won… because I can apparently control water on a molecular level…" spoke Hikaru anxiously.

"Don't worry… he is weakened… I don't think this will last very long, Hikaru…" said Xaiden with a rather sarcastic smile.

"Hopefully you're right… but he was covered in burns from my jutsu… and they all just suddenly healed… I don't know what tricks he has up his sleave… but be careful…" said Hikaru hesitantly.

"Like I said… don't worry. Have faith in me… okay, Hikaru…?" replied Xaiden, sporting his infamous "no worries" smile.

"You're right… good luck…" said Hikaru, his intense expression softening ever so slightly.

With this, the Mizukage left the building for the streets, where Akuma was politely standing waiting for him. The two exchanged a quick nod, as though to say there was no need for words, and then the fight began. Hoping to keep the destruction to a minimum, Xaiden made the first move, bringing up his crystal ice mirror technique immediately.

"Ohohoho… you don't waist time, do you…? hmmm…" spoke Akuma, creating an ice sculpture that resembled a dragon, and then taking flight to avoid getting caught. "But I am a long range fighter… a grounded technique is useless against me."

"Hmph… you overestimate you elevation… and underestimate my reach!" said Xaiden with a grin, forming a massive dome of the crystal ice mirrors around he and his foe.

"Wha…? How…? The crystal ice mirror technique is supposed to be…" said Akuma, gazing around him with his eyes widened.

"Foolish othertimer… I have spent years training this technique… to where I have mastered it on a level even greater than that of the great Haku…" said Xaiden, fading into the reflective surface on the ground, a further evolution of the technique.

"Ohohohohoho… unfortunately… I'm pretty good with mirrors too…" spoke Akuma, fading into a mirror of his own. "And I've got something on my side that you don't… hmmm…"

Xaiden carefully observed his surroundings, Akuma remained in his few mirrors that floated randomly throughout his own jutsu, but there was likely some kind of trick. To test this situation, he reflected himself in every surface of the large dome, and through one hundred needles from every direction. Normally, this would be enough to incapacitate almost any foe, but it remained to be seen what exactly this Akuma Kuroreido could do.

"Ohohohohoho… now comes the fun part… you get to witness my art…" said Akuma, holding up a handsign. "A grand revolutionary display of ice cold incindiary wonder!! Hmmm…"

Xaiden's eyes widened as every single one of his needles suddenly exploded. Under normal circumstances, his mirrors would be indestructible, but since this foe had the same jutsu as he did, the damage done was catastrophic. Every one of the millions of needles exploded, and the force of that explosion shattered Xaiden's crystal ice mirror dome. It was all Xaiden could do just to keep the shards from the dome from destroying the city, and just like that he was forced back to square one.

Of course, he had a second trump card that would make a come back an easy feat. "I never imagined I would have to use this technique… against a foe like you…" said Xaiden, placing his hand against the ground. "Kuchiyose no jutsu! Kiri no Shichikatana!!"

"Seven swords of the mist… hmmm…?" said Akuma, readying himself as a heavy fog shrouded Xaiden. "What good are ninja swords without ninja swordsmen…?"

But, Xaiden's technique was far more deadly that one would think. In his right hand he held Samehada, the legendary living sharkskin sword of Kisame Hoshigaki, and in his left he held the legendary decapitating blade of Zabuza Momochi. Around him in a pentagon floated the other five swords; all ready to attack at his will. He had only used this technique once before, and hadn't used it since because of the terrible destruction the seven swords brought when they were united.

"I see… so you do have a trick up your sleeve… hmmm…?" said Akuma, scowling at his opponent, thinking about his next move. He was stuck though, as he couldn't use his explosive techniques when his foe's jutsu held no water.

"Your days were numbered from the moment you dared to disturb the peace given to us by the great Naruto Uzumaki…" spoke Xaiden, his voice layered with the voices of the spirits of the seven swordsmen, who would guide him in his next attack.

"Tch… save it…" said Akuma. "Looks like I'm really in a pickle here… hmmm…?"

Xaiden couldn't take it any longer, this Akuma had threatened his village, and he needed to disappear, and so the Mizukage charged the ninja from another time, all seven swords at the ready. He reached his foe in a fraction of a second, and he felt them tear through the flesh of his foe, but he quickly realized that he had made a terrible mistake, when he found that he had somehow cut through one of his own ninja instead.

"No… how…?" said Xaiden, dropping the blades as the ninja, who he recognized as Makoto Hyuuga. His eyes were widened as he stared into Makato's eternal look of surprise in death.

"Human substitution… the leader of our organization… Akachi Hoshigata… hates this technique… but I find it is good for dealing with particularly persistant opponents such as yourself… hmmm…?" said Akuma, his eyes cold with hatred and malice.

"You bastard!! I am going to tear you limb from limb for this!!" shouted Xaiden, his instincts taking over. He felt his body lift Samehada, and though he tried to fight what happened next, he ended up bring the blade down on Akuma's head, only to find that Hikaru had been substituted in his place. "NO!!"

Akuma, taking advantage of his opportunity plunged his hand through Hikaru's corpse, compressing a few of the Mizukage's ribs, knocking him unconscious. "My art is pretty impressive… hmmm…?" he said with a grin, tossing the bloody mess of Hikaru's body aside. "Sorry for that Hikaru… but you'll understand before long…" Seizing the opportunity, Akuma grabbed Samehada from the Mizukage's unconscious grip. "Damn… even for a sword this size… you're a heavy one, Samehada…" he panted, lifting the sword onto his shoulder and then re-entering the Mizukage manor.

He kicked down a secret door in the wall and entered a hidden room, at the back of which was stone door. Following the procedure Akachi had given him, he placed Samehada up against the door, and to his surprise, the stone door actually slid open. He then went inside, massaging his temples as he sensed the strange and irritating aura that lingered in the cavern that was on the other side of the stone door. Per procedure, he snatched up the blue-green gear at the back of the cavern, and quickly left the hall, resistantly putting up the dimensional seal Akachi had given him, fighting his desire to just let time destroy Kirigakure.

When Akuma made his way back out to the street, Hikaru had already awakened, his wounds completely healed. "Well… Hikaru… once I report you to the leader… we might be seing eachother again real soon… hmmm…?" spoke Akuma to a dazed Hikaru before disapating into thin air.  


* * *

"…You… wish to be in Iwagakure right now…?" spoke the Kazekage very softly.

"Hm… yes… there is someone that would be far more interesting for me to do battle with…" spoke the ninja from another time in a low tone of voice.

"I see… you must be… a Shikyo…? Black hair… cold eyes… and a score to settle with the Tsuchikage… yes… it must be…" spoke the Kazekage.

"Indeed… you shall not know for long… but I am Tansen… and you…?" replied the enemy of the Kazekage, his cold eyes narrowing.

"I am Shukumei…" replied the Kazekage. "Shukumei Gekiretsu Jousoufuu…"

"Hm… very well… we need not waste any more words… you have something I need… and you intend to elliminate me… let's just get this over with… so that if there is anything left of Hayate Kiatsu when our member is done with him… I may have the remains to play with…" said Tansen, staring at the Kazekage boldly, calmly, and ruthlessly.

"Then let us begin…" replied the Kazekage with a gentle sigh…

* * *

**Next Chapter:**  
The Kazekage and inheritor of the Shikyo name engage in battle and end with a shocking resolution. Meanwhile, the Raikage engages a dangerous and deadly foe who seems to have been created from a nightmare...


	6. Chapter 6: Dance of the Shadows

**Chapter 6  
Dance of the Shadows**

**

* * *

**

Though the two foes hardly looked to be particularly speedy individuals, both of them disappeared upon making their first moves, moving faster than the eyes of gathering onlookers could detect. Both were swordsmen, exchanging powerful blows, which nullified the other with ease. The Kazekage's wind chakra amplified her every blow with the intense cutting power of such nature, and the ninja from another time countered this with mysterious "yin and yang" chakra, which neither weakens or is weakened by a particular chakra. Needless to say, the fight was almost purely even.

"Hm… you are the mightiest Kunoichi I have faced… but you must fall for my mission to succeed…" said Tansen, his gaze elegant, yet ruthless and cold.

"As the Kazekage… I cannot allow such a thing to happen… your gang has terrorized our ninja world for long enough… um… any last words…?" spoke the Shukumei very softly.

"Hahahahahaha… you are a truly delightful individual… I would have appreciated you greatly as a human being under other circumstances…" replied Tansen.

"I see…" said Shukumei, blushing. "Then why do you not put aside these wicked ways of yours… and return to your own time…?"

"I will leave this time eventually… but there is something my organization must accomplish before returning to the future…" replied Tansen, staring into the mysterious eyes of the Kazekage.

"So… you are from the future then…? Is it then your goal to change the past… and alter the future…? What are your goals…?" said Shukumei, her eyes somewhat narrowing, though her gentle expression remaining. "How you respond… may determine whether I allow you to leave here alive or not…"

"Oh really…? Well… if you want an answer… you will have to defeat me…" said Tansen, flipping over the Kazekage and landing behind her. "Our leader has forbidden us to speak lest our very lives depend upon our word… and as far as I can tell… your skill focuses on Taijutsu… no…?"

Shukumei's eyes widened as Tansen struck at her with a very powerful and fast blow from his nodaichi. Though she managed to avoid severe injury, the blade pierced her left shoulder. She fell to her knees, taking a moment to notice strange markings on the black nodaichi. "Impossible… this sword… its… it belongs to the Aneikage… you… couldn't have killed him… it's not possible…" she said, breathing heavily as she recognized the blade's identity.

"Well since you've got at least part of it figured out… Yes… this is the legendary shadow blade of Musei Shikyo… Kumouri…" replied Tansen. "And no… I didn't kill my grandfather for this sword… I inherited it… and all the knowledge behind its power…"

Shukumei stared at her foe with wide eyes, knowing that unless she activated her trump card, she was as good as dead. As her opponent withdrew his sword, Shukumei held up a hand sign, and disappeared from where she knelt. For a few seconds, Tansen could neither see nor sense any trace of her existence, but a few seconds more and she reappeared, though in a small army, decorated with strange armor that glinted in the moonlight.

"Hm… I recognize this jutsu…" said Tansen, gazing around at the army of Shukumei clones. "…And this would be quite a problem… under normal circumstances… but as luck would have it… when the sun shines it light upon the moon from the other side of the planet… all my foes are caught in a single enormous shadow…"

Shukumei briefly closed her eyes, than as if they were an army, groups began to charge Tansen in mass. Tansen brought all his focus to evading, only dodging the barrages of powerful wind attacks because of the shadow that spread throughout the full environment. His foe was incredibly fast indeed.

"Forgive me… descendant of the ally of Sunagakure… but for peace and prosperity to continue… you must cease to exist…" spoke Shukumei, closing in on Tansen, catching him in blasts of razor wind before he could fully react.

Shukumei almost dropped her guard, when she noticed Tansen had barely managed to escape, losing his cloak in the process. She stared her opponent down for a moment before speaking. "Hm… your organization… what is it called…?" she said, narrowing her eyes at the cloak that now lay on the ground in tatters.

"Hm… well I suppose you earned this piece of information… we call ourselves the Akatsuki… for we will bring a new dawn to this world," replied Tansen, popping his neck. "And you are powerless before our plans… Now… fall!"

Shukumei was suddenly caught off guard as her foe's blade pierced her from several directions, barely avoiding fatal blows each time. She had witnessed this technique once before; performed by her friend Musei Shikyo who had gone missing many years prior upon becoming the first and only Aneikage. Just as his foe had no chance to even react, neither did she, as the blades that emerged from shadows directly surrounding her appeared to suddenly to be evaded.

Shukumei, having used too much chakra in the fight fell quickly to the ground, though the blow was softened by her opponent, catching her, and laying her down gently. She was too weak to speak or fight back as Tansen gently removed the Kazekage heirloom sash from across her chest. As soon as Tansen collected this item, he quickly shadow stepped to a stone door in the Kazekage manor, where he hastfully placed the sash, triggering the door to slide open. Through the door was a windy cavern, at the back of which lay his target, a blue-green gear. With incredible speed, he collected the gear and left the hall, sealing the stoppage of time in a simultaneous blink of an eye. Not wanting to deal with vengeance-seeking Suna nin, he quickly shadowstepped to his cloak, collected it, and then left the sand village for the Akatsuki rendezvous point.

* * *

In Kumogakure, the Raikage stared down an opponent who defied belief. This strange foe looked like a voodoo doll, having only a normal looking face, the rest of him stitched together from assorted hues and colors of flesh, all decorated by large black bars and piercings. To top off this nightmarish face, two piercing red eyes gazed into the Raikage's soul behind ragged black hair.

"Who… are you…?" said Reido Hoshigata, brushing his dark blue hair from his eye.

"Fufufufufufu… I am many people… though I tend to refer to myself as Itami Getsuonibi…" replied his foe with a sadistic grin.

"Hm… a monstrosity like yourself… there is no surprise someone like you would threaten the existence of our world…" said Reido with a scowl.

"Funny… I think the leader agrees with you on that much… though I can figure why…" replied Itami Getsuonibi.

"What are you playing at…?" said Reido curiously, his chest tightening.

"Fufufufufu… okay… I'll tell you…" said Itami without any fight to his voice…

* * *

**Next Chapter:**  
The Hokage has vanished and now the four remaining kages are forced to make a decision in a desperate time of war. The Raikage is the only one who has one his battle against an Akatsuki, and now a famous mercenary is paying the kages a visit, and he claims to know the secret to beating the Akatsuki...


	7. Chapter 7: Kenshu Ningyoudzukai

**Chapter 7  
****Kenshu Ningyoudzukai

* * *

**

It had been two weeks since the Raikage, Reido Hoshigata, had defeated his enemy, now known to be a ninja from the future called Akatsuki. Since that miraculous victory, the Akatsuki hadn't been heard from, but the Hokage has also gone missing. Since the Akatsuki seemed to be after something having to do with each of the five kages, and they had succeeded in all but one situation, it was likely that soon they would emerge in Kumogakure in mass. With the immanent crisis on the horizon, the four remaining kages decided to meet in Kumogakure to see what the Akatsuki prisoner held by the Raikage knew.

* * *

"You're name is Itami Getsuonibi… correct?" spoke Xaiden, who, as the best "talker" of the kages, was assigned with the role of interrogation.

"Fufufufufufu… yes…" replied the Akatsuki with a sick grin, gazing up at Xaiden from the isolated pit that he was thoroughly chained and restrained within.

"And you are a member of the future organization called Akatsuki…?" added Xaiden.

"That is correct…" replied Itami, his chains clanging as he shifted to a seated position in the middle of the pit.

"Now then… will you tell us what it is your organization means to achieve by attacking each of the five kages…?" continued Xaiden, his eyes narrowing.

"Unfortunately for you, I will not…" replied Itami, cracking his neck. "And even if I did… who's to say that what I tell you is truth…? Or who's to say that you would even here it…? You may have restrained my chakra… but you are still within range of my hysteria… my advice… either kill me… or let me go before I crush your mind from the inside out…"

"Ignore him… he has a strange chakra channelling ability via those bars in his arms… with which he can hypnotise opponents… but he used that technique enough times in combat that I was able to restrain it without him noticing…" whispered Reido into Xaiden's ear.

Xaiden nodded. "So then… you will not cooperate…?"  
he said with a sigh.

"You make it sound as if I even would… trust me… anything that you could do to me is nothing compared to what lord Akachi can do anyone… only a madman would betray him…" said Itami.

"Hm… so that is your leader's name…" said Xaiden. "Well this much information is useful… if you refuse to speak… then we will terminate your life right here and now. Were you to present significant information, we could perhaps have put you under our protection…"

"Heh… you don't know anything about lord Akachi… his techniques… not even any of us members know a thing about them… except… that he possesses jutsu that can take down tailed beasts… and even five kages are no match for him…" said Itami, his calm complacent voice beginning to crack under fear for what he information he had accidentally betrayed.

* * *

"I can't get anything more out of him… the ice reflection genjutsu has extracted everything it can… his fear of the Akatsuki leader is simply greater than what emotions and persuasion the genjutsu can put into the mind…" said Xaiden, leaving the imprisonment chamber beneath the Raikage's manner. He was greated by the rather distressed faces of the three other kages.

"Nothing about Kage…?" said Shukumei.

"Nothing at all… like I said… his fear of what the Akatsuki leader will do to him overpowered the influence of my jutsu…" replied Xaiden with a sigh.

"Hm… in the mean time… we must be wary of Konohagakure… it is possible that the Land of Fire has been compromised to the enemy…" said Reido, rubbing his forehead.

"Hm… what will we do without our Kage…?" said Hayate, his typical joking tone of voice rather shaky, tired, and grim.

A knocking at the door of the kage meeting room suddenly interrupted the tense mood. "Excuse me… but in my travels I have heard of your situation… may I enter…?" spoke a voice from the other side of the door.

"If there is something you can offer to the shikage summit… then we will welcome you in…" spoke Reido.

"That is quite convenient… because the knowledge I possess may be the very key to destroying your persistent foe…" spoke the voice, entering the room through the door with a modest stride. The individual's identity was impossible to descern, as they wore a mask and such clothing that no skin but their toes would show. They were dressed in a traditional war outfit much like those of the ancient ninja of Konoha; Madara Uchiha and Hashirama Senju; only all in black.

"Who… are you…?" spoke Shukumei rather suspiciously, her generally soft eyes narrowing at this strange visitor.

The individual reached up the mask and pulled it from his face, revealing visage that bore striking resemblance to Madara Uchiha. "I am Kenshu Ningyoudzukai… doubtless this name tells you enough as you need to know…" spoke Kenshu in a very calm complacent voice.

"You!! You're… the legendary wandering ninja explorer!!" shouted Xaiden very suddenly, startling everyone in the room. "What a fortunate turn of events this trully is!!"

"Kenshu Ningyoudzukai… please do share with us what you know… we face a very powerful enemy that we know very little about…" spoke Reido.

"It would be an honor, lord Raikage, lord Mizukage, lord Tsuchikage, and lady Kazekage…" spoke Kenshu. "Where even to begin…? Hm… well… as you undoubtedly know from combatting these deadly ninja… they are indeed from the future. But… what you don't know… In the future… they are wanted criminals on death row… and it is for that reason that they have come to this time: to escape their immanent fate in their own time…"

"Hm… that much we could have guessed… but what does all this have to do with the five kages…?" spoke Hayate rather hopelessly.

"Everything… See… it is their desire to stop time in this world… so that the future in which they are convicts will never come… and they will be able to live wild…" continued Kenshu. "What does this have to do with the five kages…? Well… it dates back to a secret that was born with each of the hidden villages of the main five nations. The locations of the hidden villages are not random… for… though unbeknownst to the kages since the first of each village… each village conceals a special object that governs time… a time gear…"

"A time gear…" spoke Shukumei. "Time gear!! Yes!! I have heard legends of these time gears… they say that there are five throughout this world… and that stealing from their resting places will slow time until it stops in this world completely. You mean to say that this is all true…?"

"Yes… down to the letter. The Akatsuki intend to steal all of them… and destroy them once all five are gathered in a place called spire of origin… located in Amegakure… But… they can't destroy any of them, until they have all of them… This leads to my next peace of information…" spoke Kenshu. "The Akatsuki all possess extraordinary power… all thanks to their leader. On their own, they fight at the level of a kage… but when the leader… who possesses chakra levels tha dwarf even those of bijuu… transmits his chakra to his subjects… they become very powerful… almost completely unstoppable… The only way we can beat them is to cut of their leader's chakra flow into them… and conveniently enough… my kekkei genkai is almost perfectly designed to do so…"

"Hm… I wondered… the one I fought… his chakra was strange… I felt most foremost his elements of water, wind, and earth… but underneath that I felt the other two… and an unknown third…" replied Xaiden.

"This jutsu of yours… what does it do…?" spoke Reido rather wearilly.

"My kekkei genkai gives me the ability to convert other's chakra natures to my own chakra nature… This normally wouldn't do anything against a Rinnegan user… who possesses all six forms of chakra element… but… I possess a unique seventh element… darkness… this darkness… when added into the nature of another's chakra… makes their chakra unusable… in other words… rendering them… who are almost entirely reliant on ninjutsu… helpless…" added Kenshu.

"Hm… then do you have a plan…? I reckon that their leader… who seems to be god like in every way… won't walk into Kumogakure without caution…" spoke Reido.

"Yes… though keep these between the individuals in this room…" spoke Kenshu, his eyes narrowing…

* * *

**Next Chapter:**  
As the four kages formulate a daring plan to defeat the Akatsuki, the four Akatsuki members discuss the matter of Kenshu Ningyoudzukai and the immanent threat he poses to their plans. But, with the help of a new ally, they may just stand a chance against the enemy forces. 


	8. Chapter 8: The Plot

**Chapter 8  
The Plot**

* * *

"Before you share your plan with us… my escort… a very good friend of mine… fought the Akatsuki that defeated me and won prior to our battle. I feel that he would be a valuable asset to us… and with the Hokage missing…" spoke Xaiden quite suddenly.

"Hm… of course… If he managed to defeat one of the Akatsuki… that is in itself a tremendous feat… I think you are right that he would be an asset to us…" replied Kenshu calmly.

"Thank you…" spoke Xaiden politely before calling for his friend. "Hikaru!!"

Hikaru appeared almost instantly beside Xaiden, his form materializing from water vapor in the air; a technique he had just recently figured out. "Yes… Xaiden…?" he spoke rather softly.

"Would you be willing to join the four remaining kages in a fight against the Akatsuki…?" said Xaiden, not wasting any words.

"Hm… yes… I was hoping that perhaps I might be included in this plan… the Akatsuki have hurt all of us more than I can forgive…" replied Hikaru, briefly tapping the spot on his head that he thought to have been torn to pieces by Samehada. That fight had made him uneasy, as it suggested to him that either his dreams were extremely vivid, or he somehow had some kind of regeneration ability. And in addition to that, since that night he had been touching objects and getting strange visions of the past, present, and future. "Though… I do have some questions… perhaps you can fill me in on all that has happened… and then go from there…?"

"Yes… of course…" replied Kenshu, his eyes narrowing and slightly twitching as he gazed upon Hikaru.

* * *

Elsewhere, the four remaining Akatsuki had met in Amegakure, gathered to discuss the current issue at hand of the four remaining kages being alerted to their presence, and of the threat Kenshu Ningyoudzukai posed to their plans.

"Akachi… I don't like the idea of facing Kenshu head on… he his too powerful for us to be so reckless with…" spoke Masaki through the silence of the dark meeting room.

"Unfortunately… that is our only option… if we attempt to be sly in how we deal with him, we will fall into his trap, which undoubtedly relies upon our usually quiet nature. The best way to counter his preparations… is to spring the trap so suddenly that they won't have full time to respond…" replied Akachi.

"Hm… there is an issue with that, Akachi…" spoke Akuma. "Kenshu specializes in front range blunt attack force… facing him front on would be suicide… hmmm…"

"I have to agree with Akuma and Masaki…" spoke the voice of Tansen. "And we are a number down on our opponents now…"

"No… while in Konoha… I faced a very powerful adversary… and this adversary asked to hear of our plight… and with the tale I told… he has come here to join us… Kenshu specializes in taking away our chakra control… but this individual possesses chakra of a jinchuriki… equal to my own… by adding jinchuriki chakra to the constant flow I give all of you… Kenshu's powers will be rendered null…" spoke Akachi, quieting all of his underlings. "Please… do come in…"

A sudden beam of light was cast upon the room as a shadowy figure stepped in through a doorway. This figure wore a robe much like those of the Akatsuki, though as his image came into focus in the dark room, and Akachi turned up the lights to a dim glow just bright enough to see, it was discovered that his robe was decorated by accents of green, and the character for fire on the back.

"Allow me to present our newest ally… the Hachidaime Hokage… Kage Hateichi…" spoke Akachi.

"Greetings…" spoke Kage through the room, his voice unusually icy and cold.

"The Hokage… are you sure that this is wise…? Can he really be trusted…?" spoke Masaki suspiciously.

"I pledge myself to this cause of yours… for prosperity… as much as any of you have. I will do what it takes to allow the creation of this ideal world…" replied Kage.

"Then we will place our faith in our leader… and our leader's new friend…" spoke Tansen with a sigh.

"Now then… We know what must be done… Let us head for the Village Hidden in the Clouds…" spoke Akachi…

* * *

**Next Chapter:**  
The Akatsuki march on Kumogakure, and the kage alliance prepares for battle. But, amidst the tension of war exists a foreboding feeling known only to Hikaru. For some strange reason, Time Gears stir something like excitement in him, while Kenshu instills great fear in his heart. Could the secret to unlocking his forgotten past soon come forth...? 


	9. Chapter 9: The Battle of Fate

**Chapter 9  
****The Battle of Fate**

* * *

"So the ability… to see visions from touching objects… is called the dimensional scream…?" spoke Hikaru, staring at Kenshu. As Kenshu spoke, he felt his chest tighten, which made him all the more uneasy.

"Indeed…" replied Kenshu.

"I think we all have a common question in our minds, though… you know so much about the future… the future that has not yet come to be… How is this possible…?" interjected Xaiden all of the sudden.

"Hm… you are sharp… though I suppose such is to be expected of the kages… but yes… The reason I know so much about your time… is because for me this time is the past… I am an agent sent from the future to capture the Akatsuki… at all costs… forgive me for deceiving you thusfar…" responded Kenshu, strangely basking in the utter shock of the ninja within the room. "Though I am curious of something… you… with the dimensional scream… what is your full name…?"

"Hikaru Soragetsu…" replied Hikaru, staring into the future ninja's cold eyes nervously, his chest tightening all the more. For a moment, he could have sworn that he saw the corner of Kenshu's mouth tighten into a smirk. But what could it mean?

The long thoughts of the kages were soon interrupted, however, as a large explosion sounded outside. There was a blur of dark blue hair as the Raikage disappeared from the room in a hurry, followed by the black blur of the Kazekage, the aquamarine blue of the Mizukage, and the red blur of the Tsuchikage. Hikaru and Kenshu were last to leave the room, though Hikaru did so in a hurry as being with Kenshu alone made him feel very uneasy. In moments the anti-Akatsuki forces were standing outside, facing the four remaining Akatsuki members, and an unexpected, all the more hurtful foe in the Hokage.

"Kage… how far you truly have fallen… to work with them…" spoke Hayate, gazing at the black-haired youth, his eyes narrowed into a furious scowl.

"Well, well, Kenshu… long time no see…" spoke Akachi through the deafening silence upon the scene.

"Hmph… you will not escape this time… this will be it for your little joy ride…" replied Kenshu.

"No… this day will mark your immanent end… no more will you pursue us!!" spoke Akachi. "Itami!! NOW!!"

The four remaining kages and their two allies were taken by surprise as Itami Getsuonibi suddenly burst from the ground, only prevented from killing the lot of them by a wall of diamond from Hayate. Unfortunately, such defenses would not come again, as the force of the attack had blown a hole through the Tsuchikage's abdomen.

"Aack… good luck… everyone…" spoke Hayate, collapsing in seconds, though not yet dead.

"How…? I thought I had you restrained… even your chakra…?" spoke Reido to Itami, his eyes narrowed in focus.

"Unfortunately… like I said… you were caught in my illusion…" replied Itami, gesturing to the black rods in his arms. "These rods… don't simply emit chakra… they release a constant genjutsu to everything within a certain range. You see… I was standing close behind you throughout the whole meeting… I simply didn't allow you to see me… and I didn't attack… because I knew the leader would be on his way… and would have more use for me alive…"

"That's quite enough of that…" spoke Kenshu, appearing behind Itami. "Of the Akatsuki… you always annoyed me the most…" Kenshu held up his hands, and then Itami's body turned to dust, as thousands of chakra strings gleamed in the light, attached to Kenshu's hands. "Now then… Akatsuki… enough games… let's finish this…"

With these words, the battle began. Akachi and Kage joined forces to take down Kenshu, as the other Akatsuki joined a simultaneous battle against the kages. Unbeknownst to everyone else, Kenshu had done something to knock Hikaru unconscious on the sidelines; his motives for doing so unclear.

At first, the kages fought a losing battle against the Akatsuki, but Reido ultimately established the idea to simply stall while Kenshu worked to completely cut off their power. "Shukumei!! Use the technique you practiced with Kage!!" shouted Reido, avoiding several would be fatal strikes from Masaki.

"Yes!!" replied Shukumei, using the haphazard windstorm jutsu Kage had helped her create on Tansen. The move caught Tansen quite easily, who seemed to be uninterested in fighting at all. When she saw his tattered robe slide away, she caught a glimpse of a black rod in his neck and got an idea.

"Hm…? Oh right… I suppose I should fight…" sighed Tansen. "Damn… I was really hoping that I would get to face Hayate… damn Itami… serves him right…" As he muttered to himself in his entourage of unmotivation, Shukumei popped up behind him and managed to pull the black rod from his neck.

"It's a chakra rod!!" shouted Shukumei. "Xaiden!! Reido!! Remove the chakra rods from their necks and their chakra levels go back to normal!!" She then turned her focus to Tansen, who shadowstepped behind her. "Alright then… let's get this over with!!"

Shukumei rather quickly finished Tansen with a wind scythe technique from her blade, knocking him unconscious quite easily. The other members soon followed, as the Mizukage relatively easily removed the rod from Akuma's neck, hastefully incapacitating him with a Rikka; a single snowflake that froze his foe's entire body, absorbing all of his chakra in the process. Reido managed to take down Masaki after a long and grueling fight to escape the genjutsu the young ninja shot at him.

"Hm… something doesn't seem right…" spoke Reido, his eyes narrowing at the line of unconscious bodies of the defeated Akatsuki ninja. "They all seemed slower somehow… their reactions weaker… and somehow their resolve shaken… what could have happened…?"

"It doesn't matter… we defeated them…" spoke Shukumei, panting slightly. "Now… we must do our best to help Hayate escape death…"

As the three kages focused their attention on healing Hayate, Kenshu, Kage, and Akachi engaged in a fierce battle of ninjutsu. "Hmph… how annoying… I hoped to make this battle simpler… but you… Ex-Hokage Kage Hateichi… are really beginning to bother my plans…" spoke Kenshu, holding his own surprisingly well against Akachi's six paths and Kage's frequent Juu-sanbi and Tenshugan techniques. "But this needs to end… I am running out of time…"

Akachi and Kage remained silent, continuing to put all of their efforts into fighting this foe. But, for some reason, their bodies felt sluggish and unmotivated. Something was out of place, but nothing could be done. They had to beat Kenshu as they were, or else all was lost. With one final effort, they plunged their tremendous chakra into a single grand attack; something new created from their power: the great ball hexelemental rasenshuriken.

"Like I said… the Lord of Time grows impatient…" spoke Kenshu, as the tremendous attack fazed through him, destroying everything else within a 200 yard radius.

"Wha…? Impossible… how… could you have learned…?" spoke Akachi, his six bodies disappearing, leaving only his own two eyes staring furiously into Kenshu's. Akachi didn't get to hear an answer, however, as he and Kage had used too much chakra. Within a split second, Kenshu had knocked both of them unconscious.

A distance away, Hikaru suddenly regained consciousness, picking himself up and then following the four kages towards Kenshu. Hayate leaned on the shoulders of Reido and Xaiden, as he weakly limped with the others onto the scene. They stopped a short distance away from the unconscious bodies of Kage and Akachi.

"The deed is done…" spoke Kenshu, not having even broken a sweat…

* * *

**Next Chapter:**  
The Akatsuki plus the Hokage have been defeated and now Kenshu intends to bring them to the future to dispose of them completely. Though the moment is happy in the peace brought on by defeating the Akatsuki, the kages now have to face the sadness of having to say farewell to the great ally they have found in Kenshu... 


	10. Chapter 10: Peace Restored

**Chapter 10  
Peace Restored**

* * *

A few days had passed since the final battle against the Akatsuki. While the kages emerged from the fight weary and weak, Kenshu had remained strong even after the fight. His strength was unrivaled, and oh how the kages desperately wished he could stay in the past. But, he had committed to bringing all the enemies to the future, so as to dispose of them completely, and without risk of them escaping again and causing trouble.

Currently, the five remaining enemies were being held prisoner in the space beneath the Raikage manor as Kenshu prepared the passage through time. The kages had felt so useless during the fight and so they wished they could some how help, but nothing could be done to assist their ally from the future. Too soon for any of them to bare, the day came when Kenshu would take the enemies back to the future, and he himself would have to say goodbye forever.

"I am thankful… to all of you for your help. I couldn't have done it without you…" spoke Kenshu, as the five enemies were marched from the Raikage manor by a hoard of Kenshu's underlings; who resembled ANBU.

"Thank's but… really it's the opposite…" replied Reido. "In truth… we were lost without your power…"

"I am flattered you think so…" replied Kenshu with a smile. "Now then… I must ask… the time gears… they have been returned to their resting places…?"

"Yes…" replied Shukumei. "We shall keep careful guard over them so that time may not be threatened to such an extent ever again."

"Excellent… now… let's send these criminals to the future…" spoke Kenshu, gesturing his underlings as they pushed the Akatsuki into the portal. The Akatsuki went relatively without a fight, but Kage struggled a bit. He tore at the cloth that gagged him and prevented him from speech, struggling a few muffled words before he was shoved through the portal.

"Arhlrhlyes!!" was all the kages heard from the former Hokage.

"I still can't believe that Kage would do something so terrible…" spoke Xaiden, who had been particularly close with the Hokage.

"Hm… an opportunity for great power can corrupt even the best of us… It pains me… but you're friend no longer exists… he has become a dangerous criminal… and unfortunately… he will die as such…" spoke Kenshu.

"I know you're right… but I still can't help but wonder… why…?" said Xaiden, his voice very bitter with anger at Kage's betrayel.

"Kenshu's right…" spoke Hikaru. "And there's no sense beating yourself up over it…"

"Hm… I suppose you're right… Okay… let's put this behind us… and make sure nothing like this ever happens again!" spoke Xaiden, his resolve strengthened by his amnesiac friend.

"Now then… on to a more difficult matter…" spoke Kenshu. "It… has been an honor working with all of you… and I would be greatly honored to call the five kages friend…"

"Of course!!" spoke Hayate to Kenshu's meek request.

"I am honored to call you friend…" added Shukumei.

"As am I…" continued Reido.

"Me too!!" said Xaiden. Hikaru gave a polite nod and a smile.

"It is good to know that I have such good friends in the past to secure my present," spoke Kenshu. "For what it's worth, the lot of you built a truly wonderful future, and that future is the wondrous world that I call home."

"We shall truly miss the honor of your presence terribly…" spoke Shukumei.

"Yes… well… I must go now…" spoke Kenshu. "Though it's difficult to say goodbye… I have to finish my work and dispose of the Akatsuki forever…"

"Farewell…" spoke the kages rather sadly in unison.

"Though… may I speak with Hikaru and Xaiden for a moment…?" spoke Kenshu.

"It would be an honor," replied Xaiden with a sad smile.

"What is it that you would like to tell us…?" spoke Hikaru, cringing under Kenshu's gaze.

"For you two… it's too soon to say goodbye," spoke Kenshu very suddenly, shoving Hikaru and Xaiden through the portal before jumping through himself. Before the kages could react, the portal had closed.

"What… just happened…?" spoke Hayate, lifting himself from Reido's shoulder and gazing at the scene with utmost confusion…

* * *

Sorry fans!! No next chapter preview this time!! But continue reading in the epilogue!!


	11. Epilogue: Onward to a New Adventure

**Epilogue  
****Onward to Another Adventure**

******

* * *

**

This concludes Part I of Naruto the Final Hour. I hope you enjoyed reading this story, and rest assured knowing that you will only have to wait a week for part II to start up. Now, as a parting gift from Part I, here are some character bios and a little background information.

**Character bio key: **((Sorry for this format... it was initially a table... but this website isn't very customizable... so lets just make do with this...))  
Name  
Age  
Role Note ((Kage? Akatsuki?  
Height  
Weight  
Appearance ((Hair color/eye color))

**

* * *

**

Hikaru Soragetsu

???

None

5'7"

123lbs

Steel blue hair, ice blue eyes

* * *

Xaiden Shouni

19

Mizukage

5'7"

130lbs

Turqoise hair and eyes

* * *

Kage Hateichi

19

Hokage

5'8"

113lbs

Black hair and bright green eyes

* * *

Hayate Kiatsu

21

Tsuchikage

6'3"

160lbs

Red hair and turqoise eyes

* * *

Shukumei Gekiretsu

23

Kazekage

5'10"

130lbs

Black hair and red eyes

* * *

Reido Hoshigata

25

Raikage

5'9"

120lbs

Dark blue hair and steel grey eyes

* * *

Akuma Kuroreido

19

Akatsuki 4th Seat

5'7"

120lbs

Icy blue hair and black eyes

* * *

Akachi Hoshigata

19

Akatsuki Leader

5'8"

113lbs

Dark blue hair and steel grey eyes

* * *

Masaki Uchiha

19

Akatsuki 3rd Seat

5'7"

120lbs

Black hair and black eyes

* * *

TansenShikyo

20

Akatsuki 5th Seat

6'0"

140lbs

Black hair and black eyes

* * *

Itami Getsuonibi

???

Akatsuki 6th Seat

6'3"

544lbs

Black hair and red eyes

* * *

Kenshu Ningyoudzukai

???

None

6'6"

170lbs

Black hair and yellow eyes

* * *

**Background**

This story is set 40 years after the events of the main Naruto series. It focuses on the idea of time having gone out of whack for unknown reasons, with the most likely cause being the presence of the Akatsuki and the theft of timegears. Though not directly explained by any character, Kenshu referred to the "Lord of Time" in combat with the Akatsuki. Not much is known about the "Lord of Time," but it can be reasonably assumed that they and Kenshu are closely related.

* * *

**A Preview of Part II:  
Hikaru and Xaiden have been taken to the future, and everyone wonders why. Doubt begins to develop towards Kenshu as these two realize that not everything they were told was in fact a reality... **


End file.
